Golf glove

Abstract

A three-fingered golf glove, comprising a middle finger portion, a ring finger portion, and a little finger portion, which has the curvatures of the fingers fully gripping a golf club handle, leaving the thumb and the index finger uncovered; a plurality of fourchettes having external edges; each external edge comprising three segments of straight lines connected by two small joint curved arcs; a curved end side piece having the shape of the lower side of a hand fully gripping a golf club handle; the finger portions, when assembled, having trapezoidal cross-sections; a palm tautening strap being fastened to connect the palm side finger portions and the rear side finger portions while the hand is in a shape fully gripping a golf club handle, forming a loop of tensile force perpendicular to the club axis to completely eliminate bunching and wrinkling at the entire palm section of the glove; a thumb strap forming a force line at the palm portion in the direction parallel to the club axis; reinforcing threads stitched to the palm portion and the palm side and rear side finger portions to strengthen the glove material against being stretched permanently when wet; one or a plurality of thin and flexible friction strips sewn to the palm portion, the sharp corrugations thereon being parallel to the club axis, to maintain the increased anti-twist resistance of the glove, even when the glove is fully wet with rain or perspiration.

We claim: 
     
       1. A golf glove for being worn on a hand extending from a forearm of a wearer, for fully gripping a handle of a golf club, the forearm and handle having respective longitudinal axes, said golf glove comprising: a palm section having a palm portion and a plurality of palm side finger portions including a middle finger portion, a ring finger portion, and a little finger portion; each said finger portion having side edges, said side edges of said ring and little finger portions being convex towards said middle finger portion, and said side edges of said middle finger portion being convex in a same direction as said side edges of said ring and little finger portions over the entire lengths of said portions, said palm section having a palm-tautening strap extending from said palm portion; said palm section having a thumb strap extending away from a junction between said palm side middle finger portion and said palm-tautening strap in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wearer's forearm; said thumb strap having a thumb strap fastening means and a thumb strap elastic means said palm section having a palm section wrist strap being sewn to the palm portion between said palm tautening strap and a palm section wrist edge;   a rear section having a back hand portion and plurality of rear side finger portions including, in sequence, a middle finger portion, a ring finger portion, and a little finger portion; said rear section having a rear section fastening means, with an edge thereof being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the club handle when the handle is fully gripped by the wearer; said rear section having a rear section wrist strap extending from said back hand portion and having a rear portion fastening means secured thereon; said rear section wrist strap terminating at a rear section wrist edge;   a plurality of fourchettes each having an external edge and an internal edge; each said external edge being sewn to one edge of a corresponding one of said palm side finger portions;   an end side piece having an external edge and an internal edge; said external edge of said end piece being sewn to a lower side edge of said rear side little finger portion and to an edge of said back hand portion from finger tip to rear section wrist edge; said internal edge of said end side piece being sewn to a lower of said side edge of said palm side little finger portion and to said palm side palm portion from finger tip to palm section wrist edge;   said palm-tautening strap having a plurality of elastic means; one of said elastic means being adjacent to said palm section wrist edge and being extended across said end side piece to the rear section wrist strap; said palm-tautening strap having a fastening means secured at an end edge thereof to be fastened to said rear section fastening means; said palm-tautening strap having another fastening means thereon, being secured proximate a junction between said palm-tautening strap and said palm section wrist strap to be fastened by the thumb strap fastening means on said thumb strap.   
     
     
       2. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said fourchettes has an external edge defining three generally straight segments being connected by two short arcs, each fourchette having a contour of a corresponding finger fully gripping a golf club handle. 
     
     
       3. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein upper side ones of said fourchettes have a narrowed width at a portion between first and third joints, and each lower side ones of said fourchettes and said end side piece has a widened width at the portion between said first and third joints so as to fit the shape of each finger, the cross-section of each of the fourchettes being deformed into a generally trapezoidal shape when the fingers are fully gripping a golf club handle. 
     
     
       4. A golf glove as set forth in claim 3, wherein each said finger portion has seam lines passing through four apexes of each said trapezoidal cross-section so that the seam lines are placed along the edges of compressive contact regions between the fingers. 
     
     
       5. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein said external edge of said end side piece comprises, in sequence extending away from said finger tip, two straight line segments and a large outwardly convex arc connected by two short arcs having contours of bent joints of the little finger, and a long straight line segment connected smoothly and extended to said wrist edge; said internal edge of end side piece comprising, in said sequence, an inwardly concave arc generally defined by an external curvature of the gripped golf club handle, an inwardly convex arc and a straight line segment, being connected smoothly to be extended to said wrist edge. 
     
     
       6. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein said palm tautening strap has a principal axis directed at an angle generally perpendicular to the club axis and directed at an angle in the range of about 20 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to the axis of the wearer's forearm. 
     
     
       7. A golf glove as set forth in claim 6, wherein said palm tautening strap connects said palm side finger portions and said rear side finger portions with tautness when the hand is in a shape fully gripping a golf club handle, forming a force loop in a plane generally perpendicular to said club axis, thereby completely eliminating bunching and wrinkling of the glove at the palm portion when a golf club handle is fully gripped. 
     
     
       8. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein said palm portion has at least one thin and flexible friction strip having opposite surfaces, both surfaces thereof having a plurality of sharp corrugations generally parallel to said club axis of the golf club handle when fully gripped in a hand to maintain high friction with the club handle even when the glove is wet. 
     
     
       9. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein said thumb strap is fastened in such a manner that a tensile force line is formed on the palm portion in a direction generally parallel to said club axis to enhance stability of the glove on the wearer's hand. 
     
     
       10. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein a plurality of vent holes in said palm tautening strap are aligned in a plurality of rows parallel to said club axis, facilitating said palm tautening strap to contour an oval shaped thumb butt. 
     
     
       11. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein a reinforcing pad is sewn securely at an inner side of said junction between the palm tautening strap and the palm portion wrist strap to protect the glove from tearing thereat when the straps are fastened. 
     
     
       12. A golf glove as set forth in claim 11, wherein another reinforcing pad is sewn securely along an open edge across seam lines connecting an upper side fourchette of the middle finger, the rear side middle finger portion, and the palm side middle finger portion. 
     
     
       13. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein said palm side finger portions have a plurality of vent holes aligned parallel to the curved edges thereof. 
     
     
       14. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein said palm portion is stitched by reinforcing threads aligned in the direction generally perpendicular to the club axis to protect the glove material from being stretched permanently when wet with rain or perspiration; the palm and rear side finger portions being stitched by reinforcing threads along vent holes provided therein to strengthen the finger portions from being stretched permanently when wet. 
     
     
       15. A golf glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein said palm tautening strap has a thumb base cover portion established as a means of blister protection in proximity of a first joint on the side of a thumb facing the index finger. 
     
     
       16. A golf glove for being worn on a hand extending from a forearm of a wearer, for fully gripping a handle of a golf club, the forearm and handle having respective longitudinal axes, said golf glove comprising: a palm section having a palm portion and a plurality of palm side finger portions including a middle finger portion, a ring finger portion, and a little finger portion; each said finger portion having side edges, said side edges of said ring and little finger portions being convex towards said middle finger portion, and said side edges of said middle finger portion being convex in a same direction as said side edges of said ring and little finger portions over the entire lengths of said portions, said palm section having a palm-tautening strap extending from said palm portion; said palm section having a palm section wrist strap being sewn to the palm portion between said palm tautening strap and a palm section wrist edge;   a rear section having a back hand portion and plurality of rear side finger portions including, in sequence, a middle finger portion, a ring finger portion, and a little finger portion; said rear section having a rear section fastening means, with an edge thereof being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the club handle when the handle is fully gripped by the wearer; said rear section having a rear section wrist strap extending from said back hand portion; said rear section wrist strap terminating at a rear section wrist edge;   a plurality of fourchettes each having an external edge and an internal edge; each said external edge being sewn to one edge of a corresponding one of said palm side finger portions;   an end side piece having an external edge and an internal edge; said external edge of said end piece being fixed to a lower side edge of said rear side little finger portion and to an edge of said back hand portion from finger tip to said rear section wrist edge; said internal edge of said end side piece being sewn to a lower of said side edges of said palm side little finger portion and to said palm side palm portion from finger tip to palm section wrist edge;   said palm-tautening strap having elastic means and fastening means secured at an end edge thereof to be fastened to said rear section fastening means.